What the locals know.....

So our apartment search has been an adventure to say the least.  Martin has been looking for 4 weeks straight during any spare moment he had.  We had a few criteria:  didn't take up more too much our our  income (we want to travel as much as possible), close to MRT (we won't have a car), not too far from church, ideally close to middle of town & work, and in a cool neighborhood would be awesome. 

A week ago we thought we had found everything we wanted.  He wrote a letter of intent.  As for me, I had moved in in my mind and had placed furniture, decided where my kids would apply for school (more on that later), figured out a running route and where I would do all my shopping.  I had even gone so far to imagine myself poolside.  We had asked around church and everyone said it was a great neighborhood.  We even had a friend who had sent us a walking tour she had done of the neighborhood.  It had amazing food and architecture.

Martin went to the HR department to get a check for the fees and the woman asked him where the apartment was.  He told her and she asked if he knew it was "the red light district!!!".    Apparently the Mormons don't do that scene and had no idea what the night life was like in the neighborhood!  Needless to say Martin backed out of the apartment and resumed his search.

A few days later, in a panic (we ship in three days and needed an address for a destination), He found a penthouse suite 30 minutes outside town where "locals" live!  Martin said it will be a "culture shock"!   We have 4 bedrooms, plenty of space, and are near the MRT and a wet market.   The best thing about the apartment though is the balcony's and patio space.  I guess I will be making a trip up to Home Depot before our pack out on Friday for some patio furniture!

Hope to see all of you sitting on my balcony in the near future :)!